The AEON humanoid from Hexagon options two legs that finish in wheels, offering extra flexibility than a typical bipedal robotic. | Supply: Hexagon
Schaeffler AG final week stated it’s increasing its partnership with Hexagon Robotics Division. The corporate stated it should deploy at the least 1,000 of the AEON humanoid robots throughout its world manufacturing system by 2032.
Schaeffler will even present its high-precision actuators for AEON, additional strengthening the technological alignment with Hexagon.
“Now we have developed a humanoid particularly for the economic market, leveraging our core experience in sensor fusion, spatial intelligence, and bodily AI,” said Arnaud Robert, president of Hexagon Robotics. “We’re delighted to see our humanoid AEON transfer into real-world manufacturing. Working with Schaeffler permits us to ship demonstrable enterprise worth throughout numerous manufacturing facility environments and scale our operations.”
Final 12 months, Schaeffler accomplished a pilot program with Hexagon’s robots. Throughout the pilot part, AEON used its sensor suite and wheel-based locomotion to exhibit high-precision manipulation capabilities in working a multi-machine station to load, unload, and examine elements in an precise manufacturing operation.
Hexagon strikes from pilot to deployment
Constructing on the profitable pilot, the businesses now plan to deploy the robots throughout a number of websites, with further purposes, resembling automated elements inspection, focused for rollout beginning on the finish of 2026.
A key focus of the partnership is the technology and use of real-world manufacturing knowledge to allow sooner deployment of AEONs throughout new use instances and manufacturing settings.
“Our modern actuator platform is the know-how spine for the subsequent technology of humanoid robots,” stated Dr. Jochen Schröder, chief working officer of Schaeffler. “In different phrases, we’re creating the inspiration for making humanoid robotics match for widespread use.”
“The cooperation with Hexagon Robotics reveals how Schaeffler combines {hardware} excellence with industrial utility,” he added. “Not solely are we creating key elements, we’re additionally integrating robots from Hexagon systematically into our personal vegetation with the clear purpose of additional boosting our competitiveness by means of using bodily AI.”
Schaeffler additionally companions with VinDynamics on humanoids
VinDynamics is creating clever, protected, and general-purpose humanoid robots. | Supply: VinDynamics
Schaeffler additionally signed a memorandum of understanding with VinDynamics, one other humanoid developer. The businesses established a strategic partnership targeted on joint analysis and improvement, the place Schaeffler will provide the important thing elements to VinDynamics for the manufacturing of humanoid robots. These will embrace actuator programs and associated movement know-how elements.
VinDynamics stated it should conduct technical assessments and optimization of its management software program to make sure compatibility with Schaeffler actuators.
To reinforce system efficiency and reliability, the collaboration extends past manufacturing to recommendation and help in product simulation and validation. VinDynamics plans to share operational product knowledge of the provided actuators with Schaeffler. The businesses stated this may allow Schaeffler to additional enhance actuator designs and efficiency, in addition to to advance its providers, together with situation monitoring and predictive upkeep.
The signing befell in Hanoi, Vietnam, marking Schaeffler’s first cooperation with a humanoid firm in Southeast Asia, along with its worldwide companions.
Editor’s notice: The Robotics Summit & Expo subsequent month in Boston will embrace periods on humanoid robots and AI. Register now to attend.
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